Question 45 from UPSC CSE 2023 - Social Issues/Sch emes

Question

Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy:
1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents, and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of childbirth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with a special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies, and fluorosis.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. Only three

Strategy: Focus on key interventions under Anaemia Mukt Bharat. Statement 1 mentions calcium supplementation, but the scheme emphasizes iron and folic acid, not calcium, so statement 1 is incorrect. Statements 2, 3, and 4 align with recognized activities: delayed cord clamping, periodic deworming, and addressing non-nutritional anaemia causes. Thus, three statements are correct.

Key Info: Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) is a flagship initiative under the POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with UNICEF support to accelerate progress towards anaemia reduction among vulnerable populations in India. Its 6x6x6 strategy addresses six target beneficiaries--children (6-59 months and 5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and lactating mothers--through six interventions and institutional mechanisms.

Key interventions include:
- Prophylactic iron and folic acid supplementation for all target groups to prevent and treat iron-deficiency anaemia (calcium supplementation is not a component; statement 1 is incorrect).
- Promotion of delayed cord clamping--waiting at least 3 minutes after birth or until the pulsations cease--to improve neonatal iron reserves, as part of health facility delivery protocols (statement 2 is correct).
- Biannual deworming for children and adolescents (1-19 years) under the National Deworming Day initiative, and integration of deworming for women of reproductive age and pregnant women (statement 3 is correct). Deworming addresses parasitic infections that exacerbate anaemia.
- Addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia, particularly in endemic pockets, through focused screening and management of malaria, hemoglobinopathies (like thalassemia and sickle cell disease), and fluorosis (statement 4 is correct).

Behaviour change communication and strengthening supply chains are also pivotal in the AMB framework. Calcium supplementation is generally advised for pregnant women independently as per ICMR guidelines, but not as part of Anaemia Mukt Bharat's key interventions.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only one

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: All four